Royal Affection
by Celefin
Summary: Lara came too late. Lara x Himiko(Sam)
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer valid for all chapters: I do not own or pretend to own anything related to anything Tomb Raider except my own imagination based on the intellectual property of those who do._

_Starting with the ending of Tomb Raider. Except in this reality, Lara fought, survived and failed._  
_I'm not entirely sure yet where this is going to go, but it already turned out a lot darker than I imagined._

**Royal Affection**

With a clarity that seemed detached even to her overstrung and exhausted mind, she watched the red flowers blossom on Mathias' chest and lower body as the constant fire from the two pistols in her frostbitten hands drove him backwards. The impacts kept him moving while the howling winds kept pushing him upright and drenching Lara in his spattering blood until he almost floated over the edge of the tower and gravity claimed him.

The icy air boiled in fury as the waiting earth stole away its plaything, swallowing the self-styled high priest in the darkest cracks of the mountain's black volcanic rocks. Red water covered the last woman standing in a ghostly sheen, reflecting the hissing white hot fire appearing in her hand as she strode forward, her bruised and battered body slowly moving into the bluish orb of light at the centre of the storm.

She raised the torch like a dagger.

The light vanished in a blink of an eye before her fiery weapon connected with the tinder-dry former body of the Sun Queen, igniting it in a shower of sparks mingling with the swirling snowflakes.

Slowly she turned around, unsteadily walking over to the prone form of her friend, bending down and touching her face in a soft caress. Just as she was about to speak, the figure clad in ceremonial robes slowly opened her eyes, the irises reflecting an unearthly blue from within that faded into obscurity as she watched the warrior standing above her with a strangely soft expression.

Time ground to a halt.

The winds screamed as they blasted the ruins  
Himiko howled in triumph as she rose  
Lara cried out in despair as she fell to her knees

She covered her dirty, ashen face with her bruised and blood stained hands as the winds slowly died down and a ray of sunlight illuminated the mountain top and glittered on the crown of the Sun queen who stood motionless and with her arms outstretched; the palms of her hands facing upward and with an expression of utter peacefulness on her face.

Lara shivered in the sudden warmth; her quiet sobs the only sound in the sudden stillness of a golden morning. A mild wind dispersed the last of the smoke as the fire died down and the torch sputtered out, ashes carried towards the white clouds forming lazily on the deep blue of the sky.

Slowly, after what might as well have been an eternity, the few remaining stormguard arrived and surrounded the two women in a perfect circle. Each and every one lowering themselves onto their right knee, they drew their weapons and raised them towards the centre of the circle, hailing their queen in complete unison, followed by a slow chant that rose in strength and volume to culminate in a pledge of allegiance shouted like a battle cry.

The Sun Queen waited for her men to fall silent, giving them time to relish the fact that their long vigil had come to a glorious end. When she finally spoke, her voice was coarse and her tongue seemingly unwilling at first to form the syllables. Like the voice of a hermit who had not spoken a word for a long, long time. Yet at the same time it carried the promise of grace and power.

'Take her to my chambers and guard her well. Protect her with your lives and let no harm befall her. '

They hauled the subdued survivor to her feet, forming an honour guard around her as befitting for a worthy foe. They did not bind her nor bodily force her with them. There was no need to anymore.

Himiko watched them go, a soft smile playing over the delicate features of Samantha Nishimura's face.

She had been reborn.


	2. Between Worlds

_A heartfelt Thank You for the encouragement received. I'll do my best as not to disappoint._  
_This chapter will likely open up many questions as to how and why - they will all be answered in due course._  
_I'll just have to ask your forgiveness if and when the update frequency suffers from real life._  
_Written to Loreena McKennitts Mask and Mirror_

_Edit before too many people get worked up: I'm not going to go down -that- road, although I like leaving things to dark imaginations.  
And besides, I do care about logic and reason, even where seemingly none exists. Rest assured.  
_

**Between Worlds**

Only one wing of the palace compound had survived the fires; blackened by soot and covered in a fine layer of ash it now sat on a ridge overlooking the western mountainside rising from the sea and a newly formed depression in the surface littered with the smouldering ruins of former glory to the east.  
The remains of the main hall had been swallowed in a sinkhole opening up as the caverns beneath its foundations, which ages ago contained a lava reservoir, had caved in. Smoking roof beams and pillars jutted out of the ground while flickering flames still burned where cracks in the black rocks permitted the remaining gas to vent, illuminating the hill fog blanketing the surroundings in a leaden, yellow glow.  
The thick mist dampened the soft clicking noises of the cooling rocks to a faint whisper, counting away the small hours of the night.

'Bring warm water, cloth and any blanket you may find.'

Bowing deeply, the two stormguard made space for their queen and exited the small room adjacent to the makeshift royal chambers in slow and measured steps. The air was thick with incense that fought a losing battle against the smell of damp, charred wood and rotten eggs drifting through the shutters, mingling with the scent of stale fear, blood and decay.

Himiko wrinkled her nose as she let her eyes wander over the body laid out before her on a thin mattress: on her back, head slightly raised, hands crossed over her chest and with a small heap of weapons at her feet.  
She looked unconscious, the unsteady rising and falling of her chest barely visible in the soft light of the single oil lamp hanging from a corroded decorative chain.  
Every now and then, the flame hissed slightly, showing a wavering bluish tint.

Inclining her head, she rested her chin on the tip of the triangle formed by her folded hands and studied the figure before her with a deepening frown; beginning at the chafed boots, moving slowly over the worn out cargo trousers and pausing there with a slow shake of the head; afterwards lingering on the remains of the figure hugging top that was all but glued to the body with grime and dried blood. Her eyes widened slightly, with pursed lips and furrowed brows, before her face emptied of all emotion at the sound of approaching, heavy footsteps.

'Remove her clothing and burn it. Do not put any strain on her.'

With precise and continuous movement the guard's dagger sliced through the filthy fabric, the emerging reflection of the pale athletic body ghosting over the stoic, shiny demon mask of the Sun Queen's chosen warriors.  
The oil lamp hissed again as Himiko leaned forward slightly, following the path of the blade with her eyes, her lips parting in a soft exhale.

Finished with his precise and delicate work, the soldier gathered up the bundle of rags and boots and left his queen in the chamber in company with the creature that under different stars would have been her undoing.  
Himiko softly closed the door and slid in place the iron bar, leaving a trace of moisture from her fingers on the cool surface; the metallic sound ringing clear and loud in the stillness of the night.  
Removing her splendid white robes and adornments, revealing a simple, bleached and almost worn looking dress, she hesitated for a moment before kneeling beside the warrior's resting place. Her slender fingers dipped the first piece of cloth into the water, causing rippling reflections of the candlelight which illuminated the room in faintly shimmering waves.

The water dissolved the layers of dirt into brownish paint with streaks of red, covering the woman's left arm in ornamental stripes, accentuating the muscles hardened in her ordeal together with the deep gash in the upper part of the limb. Freshly cleaned and soaked again, the cloth removed the pattern to reveal a multitude of cuts and scrapes, several of which were already showing an angry red around the edges.  
A slender finger traced each and every one of them.

Blotches of reddish water had begun to show on the white dress from her lap downwards to her ankles after finishing soaking and cleaning the mat of foul smelling hair; tangled in a mess of soil, twigs and decomposing blood.  
For long moments her eyes rested on the still peaceful face before beginning to work on the upper body, caressing it in careful, light touches of warmth. Not once did her fingers now touch the skin without the cloth between as her soft motions drew intricate patterns over chest and belly.  
A single drop of water slid down between the woman's breasts, causing the queen to pause in her administrations as she followed its way around one of the soft mounds and down along the ribcage, leaving a tiny trail over the garish bruises covering all of the left flank.  
As a softly hitching breath escaped her, she traced its path with a finger an ever so tiny amount above the surface and watched the spot where it had disappeared into the underlying blanket for a little while.

Grey light was already filtering through the shutters and cracks in the wooden walls as she let the last piece of cloth fall back into the grimy water that closed over it with a red and oily sheen.  
Having dressed again in unblemished garments and after adjusting her robes to her satisfaction; she unbarred the door and returned to the side of her unwitting patient, taking in the sight of the naked form outlined against the sheets in the twilight of the early morning.

As she knelt down once more and spread out her hands inches over the body, shortly after the scraping sound caused by the lifting bar had filled the outside hallway, the door opened a fraction and a gray faced servant with sunken eyes cast a careful glance into the room.  
The queen smiled a dark little smile before turning her head and fixing the hunched figure with a cold stare.

'Leave. Now. Lest I'll have you whipped.'

A fraction of a second later only the still moving dust spoke of the intrusion; Himiko turned back to her subject with faint amusement playing over her features, soon to be replaced by a mask of deep concentration.

Rocking gently back and forth, chanting softly, raising her arms above the woman before her and spreading out her unblemished fingers, her face drained of all expression while her irises turned the colour of the night sky. The space between her palms and the abused body blurred like air over heated stone on a summer day, fine threads the darkest shade of blue, on the very edge of visibility, creeping across the open wounds, mingling with the shades of green and purple covering the cracked ribs and finally disappearing like water into dried out sand.

The queen sank down with a sharp sigh just as the first rays of sunlight creeping over the horizon thrust their spears through the single window and a tiny whimper found its way between the survivor's cracked and dried out lips who began to throw her head from side to side while grasping unsteadily at the empty air.

Reaching out, Himiko took one of the hands in both of hers and stroked it softly, quietly beginning to sing the first softly murmured verses of an age old lullaby.  
Sam's loving voice, in a flawless ancient dialect, filled the room and Lara stilled almost instantly, sinking back into exhausted sleep, oblivious to her best friend using pieces of rope taken from her gear to tie her wrists and ankles to small metal rings in the floor shortly after.  
The robes shrouded her in white waves as she finally left, casting a glance over her shoulder.

'Rest well. You shall need your strength.'


	3. Strength

**Strength**

Heavy, measured footsteps approached the wooden door, making it creak faintly on the hinges as the frame followed the bending of the floorboards, making the bound woman stir in her now lighter sleep. A few muffled words in ancient Japanese were exchanged before the footsteps moved away again, this time in a somewhat different rhythm. The door creaked again.

Sunlight flooded the room through the open windows, transforming the woman's pale face to an almost white mask with a purple mark across the bridge of her nose and thin pink streaks of already healing tissue covering several smaller cuts below her right temple. She shifted in her sleep, held back by her restraints that tightened for a moment before she relaxed again and the elaborate knots gradually loosened with her next, softer movement, relieving the pressure before the rope could cut into the bruised skin on her wrists.

Dust danced in the light, moved by a soft current of air that carried the smell of saltwater mixed with the scent of pine needles in late summer, the foul smell of volcanic gases and fiery destruction kept at bay by the change in wind direction.

Beating a soft percussion on the roof tiles, a sudden sun shower drenched the surroundings; the smell of wet ash and moisture on warmed rocks brought with it damp and the sound of dripping water. A few drops fell on the windowsill where they spattered and whetted the sleeper's face.

Lara's eyes flew open as she awoke with a sharp gasp.

Hear chest heaved with fast breaths as she blinked rapidly, turning her head frantically from side to side, then finally jerking forward, trying to get up. She made a half strangled, pained grunt as her bonds forcefully ensnared her wrists and yanked her backwards, her head slamming into the wooden floorboards as she had dislodged the bedroll with her sudden movement; biting her lower lip and tightly shutting her eyes to stifle a scream. Panting heavily, she stilled for a moment before cursing and struggling with renewed intensity to break free from the ropes that held her down; the floorboards creaking beneath her and the metal rings rattling against the wooden surface. When she started wheezing from exertion and her hands and feet finally turned a reddish blue from restricted blood flow, she collapsed with a painful sob, her head hitting the floor again with a dull thud. All motion ceased.

It was past noon when she came to again, shivering and wincing in pain.

The blanket covering her naked body had slid down during her fight to break free and she had wet herself after knocking herself out; dislodging the bedroll had positioned the headrest under her shoulder blades, arching her back and bending her neck so that her head now rested on the self inflicted bruise. She cried out in frustration and angrily scolded herself immediately after, willing her breathing to calm, then slowly looking around; the position her head had been forced into at least giving her the chance to see more than just the brittle and faded ornaments on the paneled ceiling.

The dull glow of a hazy afternoon sky cast its diffuse light on the interior, the lack of distinct highlights and shadows making the surfaces appear flat and lifeless. The floorboards had the soft surface of ancient wood sanded thousands of times, their clear lines guiding her eyes towards a small wooden table on which stood a green glass carafe, a dragon worked into the surface, its tail forming the handle in an intricate piece of craftsmanship. The matching glass stood beside it, equally flawless if slightly worn around the rim, the material looking milky and soft. Lara's lips parted a little as she softly exhaled, her eyes fixed on the still life upside down from her point of view. It was a lover's gaze. She closed her eyes for a second and shook her head, moaning a curse as she scraped the swelling bruise on the back of her head over the wood. Next to the table was a wooden tub, the wood so worn and cracked over the entire surface that it should disintegrate at the slightest touch. She bent her head further back, bringing the window at the far end of the room into sight. Like the window directly above her, it was covered in bronze grating, the alloy of a dull, reddish green colour, the wall fixings corroded but still looking solid.

'Damn it!'

The loudness of the curse in the quiet room made her jump, watching the door in alarm, holding her breath, waiting. Nothing happened for a while. Then, just as she had begun to breathe again, there was the distant sound of heavy footsteps. With another curse like a stifled growl she tore at her bounds again, making the metal rings beat an unsteady rhythm.

'Clack – clack – clackety – clack – _creak.'_

She tossed her head towards the sound, leaving a smear of blood on the floor as she strained to make out the source of the sound. Having been given ever so slightly more space, her right hand had just enough leeway to lift it a half inch from the floor. A corner of the metal plate that held the ring was visible in the splintered wood, a small cloud of dust still settling around it. As her muscles started shaking and her right hand was turning an unhealthy blue colour, there was another barely audible sound of ancient wood fibers losing their fight. She panted heavily, droplets of sweat beginning to cover her body, and pulled again until the rope left bleeding gashes in her wrist and the floorboard finally gave, followed by a sudden, dull metal sound as her arm was stopped in mid motion with the soft squelch of her elbow being strained beyond its natural limits.

She cried out in pain and anger as she pulled at the now almost freely moving ring on its mounting plate that was anchored with a T-cross fixing on the underside, the slow dry rot of the batten it once had been driven into giving it enough room for Lara to pull it through the crumbling material. It did not fit through the hole the mounting plate had left in the still sturdy boards though, giving her nothing but a rattling sound for her efforts and her blood that had begun to drench the rope.  
The footsteps reached the door, again followed by a muffled conversation with but one word clear enough to understand.

'...awake...'

The footsteps moved away again, accompanied by the faint metallic sounds of someone moving quickly and purposefully in plated armor with a weapon at his side.

A final, half-hearted pull towards her head again produced nothing but a dull thud. Slowly, she let her head and arm sink down onto the floor again, only to jolt half upright again as something sliced open the back of her right hand. It was the sharp corner of the mounting plate, now an inch above the floor as the anchor had seemingly lodged itself against something. Tentatively pressing against it did not make it budge. Lara wrenched her upper body forcibly to the right, twisting her left shoulder into an unnatural angle and bending her battered left flank as far as it would go across the headrest under her shoulders, making her body arch down to the hip as she gasped with pain and effort. The tiny sharp edge was hers.

Alternately slicing fibres of blood soaked rope and skin while red sweat stained the floor around her she hacked away at her restraint until it gave with a soft, squishy sound; making her clench her fist in triumph before throwing herself around to free her left wrist with her cut and trembling fingers.

The footsteps returned, a moment later followed by the noise of two pairs of boots being planted firmly on the floor, the silky unsheathing of weapons and the clinking of chainmail on a straightening body.

'Come on... come on... _come ON!'_

Having been designed to avoid self tightening, the knotwork gave after little time despite the clumsiness of her abused fingers; and crying out hoarsely without trying to suppress it anymore, she shot upright; catching sight of the little pile of weaponry still sitting forgotten on the other side of the room. Bending forward to release her ankles, a rasping gasp caught in her throat, turning into a coughing fit, forcing tears to her eyes and leaving her shaking as she spat out pink phlegm while trying to stop her bloodied hands from trembling.

'Lara?'

A cool draught swept dust across the floor as the door opened; a white clad figure entering in graceful strides and Lara jerking her head around upon hearing a familiar voice. She forced the words out between gasps.

'Sam! Oh God... I thought... I'd – I'd lost... you! Please...!'

Samantha stopped dead, surveying the scene before her, furrowing her brows and tilting her head slightly to one side. She slowly shook her head, her face unreadable.

'Not know tongue yours well yet. Use mine.'

The Sun Queen straightened up, quickly turning away to her guards and addressing them in an icy voice.

'Have the bedding she has soiled exchanged and warm water prepared. Remove her possessions. You will stand guard within this room until I have finished; then I shall deal with your failure to protect her from further harm.'

Lifting Lara up with two hands in dusty, dark and stained leather gloves under her arms, the stormguard shoved the dirty and threadbare mattress away with his boot, allowing a servant to replace it in total silence. She struggled weakly against him; but having no leverage due to the still intact bounds at her ankles spreading her legs apart, all she achieved was to smear his polished armor with coagulating blood and grime as he lowered her down in a vice-like grip; pushing her onto her back again and spreading her arms out above her head, making her cry out through gritted teeth by stretching the twisted elbow as he held her hands in place to be bound once more while she had nowhere to look but on the reflection of her burning face on the emotionless mask above her.

Wearing her crown and with the white robes creating a flower of silk on the floor for her to settle into, Himiko knelt down at Lara's side once more, the green carafe and glass in her hands casting emerald, flowing shadows on her garments. Covering her left hand with a piece of cloth, she lifted Lara's head a little and offered her the precious glassware containing a cool liquid which disappeared in greedy gulps, interspersed with rasping coughs, thin rivulets wetting the survivor's reddened cheeks.

Her sigh was painful as she opened her bloodshot eyes again, looking up at the Sun Queen in quiet expectation, a tiny, sad smile flickering over her cracked lips as she beheld the ancient piece of artful craftsmanship in Himiko's hands. It did not go unnoticed, the queen tilting her head with a soft and curious expression before carefully putting the carafe down beside her where Lara would be able to see it on turning her head. From within her robes she then produced a small vial that upon uncorking filled the room with the smell of a strong distillate, the colourful aromas painting the air with the fragrances of herbs on Yamatai's windswept cliffsides.

'Drink. It will help you.'

It took the assistance of her guardsman to hold Lara's head still and force her mouth open, the oily liquid staining her chin and making her gag as Himiko poured with an emotionless face, waiting for Lara to swallow and first releasing her as her throat bobbed up and down in the telltale motion. Turning her head back to her prisoner after gracefully assuming her position again, her eyes widened slightly at the sight of a dark and growing stain beside Lara's head who chose that moment to spit the remaining drops in Himiko's general direction. With slow and deliberate movements, the queen wiped the stains of her robes and of the back of her left hand with which she had covered her face, fixing the bound woman who stared at her defiantly with an _interested_ gaze. She nodded slightly, speaking in low and measured words, clearly pronouncing every syllable as she held eye contact.

'The true warrior refuses to let his senses be dulled as being alert is at the core of his being. Very well.'

Seeing her patient slowly pale, she let her eyes wander over the body before her in silence, tracing each of the many cuts that all had lost the signs of inflammation over night. She nodded again and turned her attention to the fresh cuts and bruises, shaking her head slightly, before focussing on Lara's left flank once more. The contrast to the white robes made the bruised skin look almost black, with Lara writhing under the systematic touches and prodding by Himiko's hands that spoke of routine and experience.

'The bad blood has been cleansed by the touch of my light as you lay in darkness. Yet you are not out of danger and foolishly brought yourself close to the end today by stabbing yourself with your splintered bones. I would have you rest and prepare, but you will not have it... so we will remedy this now.'

'What? Wait! This is mad...'

The rasping outburst brought with it another coughing fit, earning her a shake of the head as Himiko ordered the guard to Lara's side, filling her view of the afternoon sky behind the bronze grating with a dark demon who pushed a piece of wood wrapped in cloth between her teeth, clamping her mouth shut with his gloves that smelled of dust, worn metal and old blood.

Darting back and forth, Lara's eyes found the green carafe at her side, gazing upon the shimmering decorations with the focus of a drowning man spotting a piece of slippery driftwood. Her laboured breathing calmed somewhat as she stopped gagging on the object in her jaws; testing it with her teeth instead. Himiko's voice sounded detached and distant as she lost herself in concentration.

'This will hurt.'

Lara's face went white as she bit down hard.

Her ribcage _moved_.


	4. Stained Glass

_Once more, thank you all so very much for your support, including my dear guest reviewers that I can't thank by PM. It means the world when trying to find that extra 30 minutes of real life to do what I want to do... so the chapters may not always be as long as I'd like them to be, but I will see this trough. The Yamatai empire wasn't built in a day after all._  
_ In the near future, the story will even move out of that little room we still find ourselves in. Given time, of course. *smiles softly*_

**Stained Glass**

She woke with a pained cough, gradually transitioning to quiet moaning interspersed with frustrated growls when trying to move and – this time – finding herself completely unable to; additional restraints holding her midriff and thighs in place.  
A cool draught in the dark room caressed her face and tightly bandaged chest, taking with it the excess heat of her body and clearing her glazed over eyes. Shuddering for a moment she blinked quickly a few times; and after inhaling as deeply as the bandage and pain would allow, she slowly turned her head towards the window.

A watery crescent moon hung in the thinly overcast sky, its rays creating a pale, rainbow coloured halo in the hazy clouds. Motionless, apart from a lonely sigh, she gazed at the silvery light while listening to the call of a single bird somewhere in the ancient pines outlined against the midnight blue horizon. She shut her eyes tightly when a single glittering tear fell to the floor.

'A bird does not sing because it has an answer… it sings because it has a song.'

The softly spoken words startled her, the resulting sudden pull on her restraints causing a pained gasp. Straining her neck she could make out a familiar figure in white robes facing the window at the far end of the room, arms across her chest and missing the proud bearing displayed in the light of day. Yet her voice betrayed nothing but a lingering tiredness.

'I have dreamt dark and furious dreams for far too long; and now that I have what I craved in my dreams of the past, the dreams of the present will not let me rest.  
So I seek out the life that would have ended my existence and yet helped in bringing me back into this world; yet I know not clearly why I do so.  
Should I not hate you for being _real _and for the flesh and blood that is your own?  
For wishing with all your heart you had obliterated me?'

From somewhere below the window came the patter of mortar pieces, falling from the crumbling palace foundations and bouncing off the smooth rock surfaces, shortly after followed by the heavy clunk of a dislodged chunk of masonry that disintegrated into a shower of gravel while caroming of the cliff face.  
The bird song stopped in alarm, the unseen fluttering of wings disappearing into the darkness.

'Please…water.'

With a barely audible sigh, the robed figure straightened up and moved to Lara's side where she knelt down once more and helped her drink. The moonlight caught Sam's delicate features, the cold glow making the dark smudges under her distant eyes stand out over the slightly sunken cheeks. Lara averted her eyes as soon as she had finished drinking, her voice little more than a hoarse whisper.

'How do I address you?'

The sound of a glass being carefully placed on the wooden floor was followed by the soft whispering of silken garments as the queen sat back, folding her hands in her lap, her lecturing words carrying a trace of irritation.

'For a simple commoner like you, Your Majesty is appropriate. As of this moment in time and place, as well as in future instances of privacy, the name you know me by will suffice. How do you feel?'

'_Feel?_ Like having been skinned, turned inside out and strung out to dry, _Your Majesty_.'

Her breath rattling in her chest she closed her eyes tightly, pulling at the bounds around her wrists with a pained little whine.  
The queen watched her without a trace of emotion while the room filled with the sound of one of the shutters creaking on corroding hinges as a breeze sprung up in the otherwise still night.

'I'm starving. And damn it, I need to pee.'

'I shall ask you not to attempt an attack when I release you as it would result in us having to go through yesterday's procedure again. Your ribs rest in their right position yet again, but you are far from healed.  
I have little interest in inflicting such strain on the both of us again.'

'I know I'm a wreck, just get that fucking rope off!'

Himiko loosened and opened the bonds one by one with deft and graceful movements, not looking at the complicated knotwork but keeping eye contact until Lara turned her face away; slowly moving the stiff muscles in her arms, bringing her hands across her chest and carefully rubbing her wrists, wincing as she touched the gashes her escape attempt had left. With the last restraint giving free her right ankle she rolled onto the side, breathing rapidly and covering her face with her hands as she muttered a curse that ended in a quiet moan.

Leaving her struggling to get onto her feet alone and finally stagger towards the chamber pot in the corner, Himiko unbarred the door and, stepping out beside the lone guard, called an order in the old tongue of Yamatai into the silent hall. She waited outside until the sounds of Lara clumsily dragging herself to her unsteady feet had changed into soft, hesitating footsteps.

Lara stood and stared into the night sky, short of breath and leaning heavily on the windowsill, her unruly hair falling over her scarred shoulders in random strains. As she slowly and painfully pulled herself further upright by gripping the window grating, she turned her head to address the queen just as the grating's wall anchoring that had looked so solid the day before gave way under her weight in a shower of dust and crumbling woodwork.

She yelped in surprise, flailing in the dim light while fighting to stay upright as she swayed towards the empty opening; crying out when Himiko forcefully pushed her away from the window and caught her with both arms around the midriff, pressing her up against the wooden wall for keeping her from falling.

They froze in the sudden embrace, Lara gasping at the pressure on her cracked ribs but not moving at all, her cheek just about touching the queen's while there was nothing between them but her bandages and a robe of finely woven silk, smooth and cool on her exposed skin. Himiko's hands that gripped her lower back were trembling slightly.

Shrill, ringing noises rose up from the cliff side as the bronze grating bounced off the rocks before disappearing in the undergrowth of a small pinewood clinging to an outcrop on the mountain side.

When the stillness returned, Himiko took a hasty step back, touching her own cheek with the fingertips of her left hand, her eyes wide and her lips slightly parted. Lara, bereft of the bodily support and grappling to gain purchase on the wall behind her back, raspingly let out the breath she had been holding for the entire duration of the touch and slowly sank to her knees. Closing her eyes she let her head sink back and let out a strained whisper.

'Oh God... I'm going mad. I just know it.'

The long silence between the motionless figures was finally broken by a hollow eyed servant carrying a small tray and a flickering oil lamp, the unsteady light making the two women break their stance.

'Place the meal over here and help her up, but be careful, she needs support.'

He bowed deeply after setting down the steaming tray, turning towards the queen's prisoner and hesitating for a second as he beheld her. Carefully he made his way towards her, frightfully averting his eyes from the naked form before him.

His hands were cold and leathery to the touch, his smell slightly metallic and dry as she leaned upon him to be guided to the small table. After helping her kneel down at the table with disproportionate care and once more bowing deeply to his queen he all but fled the room.

There was a selection of fruit she already had encountered on the island, so freshly plucked there were still droplets of sap forming where the stem had been severed; a large amount of square cut meat filled the plate's other half. It was bland and simultaneously had a distinct sweetish tang; the texture soft and almost squishy as if whatever it was had been overcooked for a very long time.  
She wolfed it down.

'When you have finished at your trough return to your place of rest and let me bind you, lest you foolishly dislodge your ribs anew, injure yourself again in any other way or fall out of the window for that matter.  
I will also overlook your lack of manners for the time being.'

Lara's head snapped around as she opened her mouth and shut it quickly again as her eyes met Himiko's. She swallowed heavily and lowered her gaze slightly before speaking.

'Can I at least ask for something to cover myself?'

'No. Your gashes, cuts and bruises will heal more quickly when exposed to the air as long as you don't rub dirt into them again. Will you now heed my order or will I have to have my guards tie you down?'

After unsteadily making her way over to the bedroll, avoiding eye contact, she lowered herself laboriously down onto the bedding, already out of breath as she finally stretched out. Himiko watched her with an unreadable expression and a slow nod before kneeling down beside her head as Lara brought her wrists up to the metal rings with gritted teeth. As the first rope touched her skin she tightly shut her eyes and clenched her fists hard, the knuckles whitening and her nails digging into the palms of her hands; despite her trembling muscles holding perfectly still while Himiko worked.

She turned her head away, gazing at the spot where the moon had been, now replaced by stars as the sky had cleared, when Himiko resumed the position at her left flank and once more spent long minutes taking in the sight of the body before her. Lara closed her eyes with a shallow breath, then suddenly blinked.

'Himiko?'

The queen slowly looked up from her musings, an ever so slight smile returning to her lips before vanishing into a glint in her eyes.

'How can you speak English all of a sudden?'

'Disturbing dreams that will not let you find the rest you crave may yet teach you things in their realm between sleep and lying awake. Do not trouble your mind with this. You will come to understand.'

She slowly got up, walking over some creaking floorboards that hadn't made their presence known before, picking up the oil lamp and turning around a last time as she reached the door. Her voice was soft.

'Rest well. I shall return tomorrow.'

A bird began to sing its lonely song again in the cooling darkness blanketing the landscape.  
There was a whisper, accompanied by the quiet sound of metal rings moving over wood.

'Himiko…? What… what does an immortal fear?'

The queen stopped, her face an emotionless golden mask in the yellow light of the small flame before she extinguished it with a wrought silver cap showing a setting sun. The faint smell of smoke and cooling oil quickly disappeared into the night.

'Losing you.'


	5. Clearing Vision

_No matter how often I check, my story never updates itself despite me having explained to my muse my real life constraints... so I will probably have to write it down myself after all and despite everything else if I want to read it. *sighs softly*_  
_Thanks to Avarenda and Zubba for probably unintended inspiration and lazarus wolf for intended story input for a later chapter._  
_Ah yes, Lakritzwolf has signed on as Beta... so now I not only have my muse but also a creative editor on my back. More climbing. Great._  
_*smiles a little*_

_Edit: done a bit of research and based on that added a little dialogue to heed an issue pointed out in the reviews. Don't give me any slack._

* * *

**Clearing Vision**

More than a week had passed and a routine had begun to establish itself, the ever restless immortal monarch visiting Lara in the small hours of the night, sometimes simply waking her to check up on her state without speaking a word, at other times standing at the window, staring out into the darkness, holding softly spoken monologues interspersed with contemplative silence.  
Never did she bring a light and never did she touch Lara's skin again, not even in the slightest way, neither when unbinding her immediately after her entrance nor later when tying her down again. Every night she then knelt at her patients left flank, simply gazing at the woman before her, emotionless and silent unless asked a question which she then might answer or not, but almost always with a tiny, fleeting smile upon being spoken to.  
Lara only addressed the queen with her head averted; when she for any longer than a moment did rest her eyes on her best friend's face, ghostly and unreal in the dim grey light, her cheeks at times where wet with silent tears.

When visiting in the morning and afternoon, Himiko's demeanour was detached and distant, letting Lara move about for half an hour to relieve herself and eat a bland meal, brought by a servant who would replace the chamber pot while she was eating and who would also clear up the little table afterwards, never looking up from the floor. Everything happened in absolute silence.

On the eighth day she was awoken by cold drops falling onto her forehead and her right shoulder in increasing frequency. Blinking irritated into the greyish morning light she looked up at the ceiling where a thin chain of drops had formed on a batten's underside, darkening the wood and accumulating at two points before falling towards her.  
Somewhere on the moss-covered roof a tile had cracked along its entire length where a sapling had begun to take root, letting in the rain that fell in sheets outside the window, almost completely obscuring everything but the closest objects and muting every sound with its intense whispering.

She tried to inch away within the limits of her restraints when she paused, taking an unsteady breath, before slowly turning her head to find her chafed wrists no longer bound to the floor. Slowly and carefully she rolled onto her side and rose to her knees. Massaging her wrists and the stiff muscles in her upper arms, the damp chill of a westerly wind making her shiver slightly, she looked around but found nothing changed apart from the growing wet spot where her head had been. Her bandages were gone though, revealing an upper body still as colourful as any rainbow, albeit a fading one, and covered with a multitude of cuts and abrasions showing the healthy pink of healing tissue, the first real scars already having begun to form.

As she carefully stretched her arms above her head she drew a measured breath, pausing before raising her hands as far as possible above her head and inhaling deeply with closed eyes; at her chest expanding unhindered, her face lightened up with a smile forming on her lips. The smile died away as gradually as it had come when she opened her eyes again and rose to her feet before stepping over to the window with her arms crossed over her breasts, watching the rain drenching the landscape before her as it accentuated the thousand shades of green growing up towards the palace wing, contrasting starkly with the leaden sky.

She rested her hands on the windowsill, watching the water falling from the roof as it made its way down past the window, dripping on a loose plank that revealed a support beam a little to the right from where she stood, wetting another white painted window frame further down where a pole stuck out at a right angle, trickling unto the narrow eroded ledge at the base of the foundations and disappearing into the cleft where there once had been a footpath around the building which now ended at an edge covered in loose gravel three yards from where the ledge came to an end.

The wind blew sheets of rain along the remaining path that wound its way between cliff and palace, past a mighty pine tree, fallen in a recent storm and still green in the canopy, now resting on the shattered remains of a wooden shack further down on the steep mountain side. She leaned out of the window, the downpour making her hair cling to her face while she brought the remains of a rope bridge into her view that had its beginning at about the place where the pine had smashed the little building and extended out of sight in a downward angle.

Slowly straightening up again she looked down at her hands, turning them palm upwards to study the barely healed skin, already dirtied again by tightly gripping the wet and lichen covered decomposing woodwork of the window frame. She shifted her gaze from her hands to where the sea and the horizon hid behind the rain and hill fog and sighed deeply before closing her eyes and tilting her head backwards, shivering a little as a few drops of water found their way from some wet strains of hair down the scarred skin of her back.

'I have given the guards strict orders to kill you, should you come closer than ten paces to the gate.'

She spun around at the softly spoken threat and instantly went into a stabilising half-crouch, fists already raised as her hair was still completing an arc around her right shoulder, fixing her eyes on the intruder's position.  
The queen smiled a little while tilting her head with a hardly perceptible nod.

'Woe to those who would underestimate a warrior willing to fight while wearing nothing but his skin. I delight in seeing you so well recovered.'

Straightening up with her breath slowly calming, Lara wiped a still wet strand of hair from her forehead while the alertness faded from her gaze, the shining hazel colour dulling. Averting her head she suddenly shuddered and closed her eyes tightly for a moment before shaking her head in irritation and dragging her hands down her face. Looking up, she sought eye contact for the first time since their accidental embrace.

'Shamanistic powers. Healing magic... You were _sorting_ my ribs when I passed out.'

Himiko laughed a bell-like little laugh that stopped as suddenly as it had begun while she put a bundle of cloth on the table and set about laying it out.  
It contained a pair of faded, off-white breeches and a knee-length tunic in a dull red colour; some faded elaborate stitching in what once had to have been a bright orange yellow resembling a pattern of feathers and pine branches running along the seams, cuffs, hem and neckline.  
Faint amusement was still playing around the corners of her mouth as she spoke again.

'Magic? Magic is the art of making the implausible look impossible, feeding the expectations and imaginations of the peasants to the point where their minds will reject the possibility that what they finally see happening is caused by mundane means.  
One should not underrate it though, as few things are more powerful than a good narrative combined with matching images… but mend broken bones and drive poison from your blood it will not.'

Lara, her brows furrowed, watched Himiko placing a pair of finely crafted boots beside the table; the soft, thin leather showing fine cracks standing out against the aged material as time had filled them with darkened dust. Some light stains showed on the shaft where the recently applied polishing cloth had been insufficient.

'True magic, reaping everything after sowing nothing, creation out of thin air, belongs to the realm of legend. As it is, my guards believe you wielded powerful magic on your way through the monastery… how else could a lone girl have felled so many warriors with flashes of light and thunder that killed at a distance, through walls and armour?'

'Are you seriously telling me they didn't recognize my weapons as such? They have to have encountered firearms centuries ago! Look, I even found shells and ammunition on them, at one point even a rusted handgun from maybe seventy years ago.'

'And about as useful and meaningful to them as any soldier's well-worn keepsake or lucky coin.  
Living long enough to seem immortal does many things to a mortal soul; they are… very set in their ways.  
I know your devices to be mundane weapons although I do not understand their way of working – but then, any knowledge that is applied in a sufficiently sophisticated way is indistinguishable from magic to the simple, un-enquiring mind.  
To them, if it was magic back then it is magic today, only they never encountered a sorcerer as powerful as you; hence each man's desire to be the one to slay you, thereby acquiring the right to claim your strength and power for himself after battle as befitting for the true warrior.  
You should dress yourself now.'

The breeches were made of rich raw silk, woven in a honeycomb pattern and fitting loosely but perfectly, leaving her almost as much freedom of movement as what she had worn moments ago. Absentmindedly picking up the tunic she suddenly paused, dropping it back on the table again before lifting both hands to rub at her temples, biting her lower lip.

'Wait… wait. How would they claim… right. Ok. Archaic societies. Prion disease resistances in modern humans. Right. There are sources from the Tang Dynasty describing practices of replenishing wounded warriors' strength by feeding them...'

Swallowing heavily and slowly turning to Himiko again, who had followed the monologue with her eyebrows raised in a mix of slight bewilderment and curiosity, Lara's voice trailed off as the colour began to seep from her face. She rather breathed than said the words before doubling over and beginning to retch.

'You have fed me... oh God… no.'

The queen impassively watched her dry-heaving for a little while before raising her voice again that had lost any trace of warmth and softness.

'I believe you saw ample evidence of what you seem to have discovered just now.  
You needed your warrior's strength to overcome your injuries even with my help and it was given back to you the proper, honourable way.  
If you had any rank at all, my stormguard would now follow you to the end of this world but for you throwing dirt on all they stand and have stood for in a childish display of unthankful selfishness and utter lack of respect for their glorious history as well as for my generous hospitality. Were you anyone but the one you are I would have you skinned alive for this outrageous breach of courteousness.'

The queen abruptly turned towards the door, causing her flowing robes to catch on the edge of the small table, the sudden tug making the green glass carafe gyrate towards the edge with a wobbling sound. With the sound of thin, breaking ice on a wintry morning it shattered into pieces, the green dragon spitefully slicing open the palm of the dirty hand that had shot out to catch it. With a dull crack, the glass followed shortly after.

Ignoring the quiet sobs from the figure in a fetal position on the blood stained floor, Himiko paused for a moment, drawing a deep breath, her words carrying little emotion but faint disappointment.

'You are free to move about wherever you choose except in close vicinity of the gate. When you have finished soiling my house and its traditions you will clean up after yourself and get dressed. You will meet me this afternoon in the study overlooking the southern approach. Dare not to attend having begrimed the scribe's attire that I intended as a fitting gift for you in an obvious act of getting ahead of myself.'

She strode away, the still open door creaking on its hinges in the sudden draught that had sprung up.


	6. Into Present Bygone

_Finally, chapter 6!_  
_I've teamed up with greysfanhp, the very best beta I could ever have wished for. Yes, you're brilliant._  
_Revising this thing two times (and indulging in disproportionate amounts of research) obviously took some time... but here we are._

* * *

**Into Present Bygone**

She had barred the door and taken off the ancient scribe's attire, carefully laying it out on her bedroll as not to crumple or risk staining it in any way by doing what she was about to do. Her eyes were bloodshot and her face still ashen, yet her unharmed hand had almost been caressing the age old silken textiles, her fingers tracing the patterns on the cool, smooth surface.

The worn fabric of her headrest, still damp from the leaking roof, put up little resistance as she methodically tore it to strips of cloth, to bandage the hand that had been cut open anew by her instinctive attempt to save the green dragon carafe. She then set to work on cleaning up after herself around the little table; having soiled the floor with the contents of her stomach and the blood dripping from her wound; trying and mostly failing to keep herself from gagging while wiping up the remainder of her first conscious encounter with the traditions of the Sun Queen's stormguard.

Tossing the little heap of soiled cloth into the corner she turned toward the shattered pieces of glassware with a deep sigh. She carefully picked up the large shard that had bit into her palm, the dragon's jaw still smeared with dried dark blood. Closing her eyes she turned the fragment in her hands, exploring the texture on the in- and outside. There was a faint moist sheen to her eyes as she opened them again, combined with an angry glow as she analysed the piece in a quiet voice full of self-reproach.

'Sassanian glassware from pre-Islam Persia… exported to southern China during the Jin Dynasty on the desert routes… probably re-exported via Yangzhou on the eastern coast to Japan from where it then found its way here. Fifteen hundred years and six thousand miles… smashed because of an archaeology graduate's culture shock…'

She shuddered fiercely, trying to suppress another retch with gritted teeth until she finally clenched her fist hard, the fingernails digging into the bandaged palm of her wounded hand with sufficient force to make her cry out in pain; killing the gag reflex. Her sore throat and ragged breath made the words come out like a growl.

'Dammit Lara! Having eaten a part of… what- or who…ever is _not_ going to kill you… so pull yourself together!'

After slowly rubbing her temples and drawing her hands down her face she gingerly collected the shards of the carafe with still slightly shaky movements and placed them on the table, neatly lined up next to each other. Looking down at her little museum layout she straightened up and folded her hands in her lap as she tilted her head backwards, inhaling deeply while closing her eyes before she softly addressed her best friend.

'No… it's not going to kill you. It's always others who get to die instead, isn't it? Sam… I'm so sorry.'

A tear fell from her cheek unto her chest where it followed the line of a scar left by a deep machete cut that had come within half an inch of hacking off her right arm had she not ducked away a split second before it connected fully.

'Sorry… what a cheap word. But you know I've never been good with words… but I've always been good with promises. I've only ever broken one… and that was the only one that ever really mattered.'

Slowly bending forward she covered her face with her hands, a lone, naked figure kneeling before a little altar of shards.

'And yet here I am, grieving about a piece of glassware… as if that was important. As if anything was important anymore…'

With a silent sob racking her shoulders she clenched her fists and drove them hard into the floorboards, breaking the skin on her knuckles in several places where the frostbites from the Ziggurat had barely healed. The little finger on her right hand, still stiff from when a heavy boot had stomped on it, gave a crunching sound upon impact, making her yelp in pain and curse herself.

'You'd probably laugh at me right now… and ask me who I'm trying to fool, wouldn't you? And you'd be right. I've met the historical figure on which I spent the better part of two years of studying at UCL in person! And proceeded to affront her in the worst possible way and _I care! _And this isn't helping anyone at all!You'd find it "totally adorable" I guess… if you were still here and not just… your body.'

As her breathing calmed again, she wrapped her arms around herself and slowly rocked back and forth, a few salty drops staining the ancient floorboards.

'I don't know how much longer I can take this Sam… but I'll make you another promise: if there is any way to bring you back, I swear I'll find it. And I won't care about the price.'

With a deep sigh, she stilled, the ghost of a smile flickering over her face that was wet with tears.

'I never told you… but you were a terribly brave soul when watching the world through your camera. As if nothing that happened on that little screen could have any impact on you. You'd be the only one who understood that _I_ need to understand all this. I have to. And knowing you… you'd probably want to film it the whole way.'

There was a sad glint in her reddened eyes as she opened them again and wiped away the moisture with her hands before nodding slowly to herself.

Standing up, a dim reflection caught in the corner of her eye, making her look back and notice a faint silky sheen where the bloodstains from the cut to her hand had been before she had cleaned up. The spots were smooth to the touch of her index finger; and kneeling down again in curiosity she noticed the colour did not resemble dried blood but lacquered pine. Several layers of lacquer at that, worn but intact as opposed to the dry dust and crumbling wood fibres clinging to her fingertips after tentatively scraping at the nearby floor.

She blew away the dust on another patch close by but found nothing notable on closer inspection. Tilting her head, she looked back and forth between her bruised hands and the floor before bringing her right hand's weakly bleeding knuckles into contact with the spot she had cleared, watching closely as the dry surface absorbed the red liquid. Nothing happened.

She shook her head vigorously and slowly got up, tucking a strand of hair hanging over her forehead behind her ear before she turned to look out the window with furrowed brows and deeply tired eyes. Judging by the length of the shadows it had to be close to noon, the by now almost still air warming up considerably compared to the chilly morning with the humidity approaching uncomfortable levels as the downpour's moisture evaporated from the leaf surfaces.

Looking down at the faded scribe's attire with its intricate orange yellow pattern of feathers and pine branches on a dull red tunic that lay on her bedroll together with the breeches of raw silk, she shook her head before pursing her lips pensively, taking a deep breath and firmly addressing the empty room.

'Alright. Time to play by the rules.'

The clothes almost fit as if they had been made for her; and she found a string of narrowly braided leather strips and a long orange piece of silk in the low cut boots, providing her with a means of tying a ponytail as well as a belt around her midriff to keep the loosely cut tunic close to the body.

Having carefully adjusted her attire she looked down at herself, the corners of her mouth lifting in a hint of a smile. She nodded resolutely and squared her shoulders before she unbarred the door and stepped out into the hall, turning around and pausing for a moment as she looked back at the open window with its missing grating one last time. She purposefully pulled the door shut, the wooden thud quickly hushing in the silent hall.

As she slowly walked across the hall, taking in the remains of the intricate paintings on the walls and ceiling in their washed out colours combined with dulled remnants of gold leaf, fine beads of sweat began to form on her forehead. The air in the ancient building was stuffy despite it being open on all sides; soon she could feel drops of sweat trickling down her back and legs, unhindered by the loose fitting clothing that cooled her still aching body. On the far side of the hall a servant entered from a corridor, startling her from her hazy state of mind; but he exited into another hallway without making any sound or even acknowledging her presence.

Her footsteps sounded muffled as she entered a northwards corridor, the building seemingly absorbing most of the ambient noise in the ancient, porous materials that had lost all lustre they might have once had, making reflections almost non-existent and filling the interior with soft and entirely diffuse light that wiped out most of the shadows without providing any highlights for the eye to cling to. Nothing moved, and she found herself looking over her shoulder every now and then, but the cracked wooden panelling and the empty-eyed statues lining the walls stayed silent.

Sunlight fell through a hole in the ceiling further down the passage where a rotten roof beam had recently yielded to the weight of the overgrown stone tiles, scattering debris and moss over several yards and making some badly worn floorboards cave in. Dust particles danced in the dazzlingly bright beams of light, the air smelling damp and musty as the floor, having soaked up the rainwater like a sponge, turned soft and slippery.

After carefully ducking under the debris as to avoid any stains on her clothes, her footsteps making soft squelching noises in the process; she reached a stairway leading downwards, faint sounds of activity drifting through the still air. She stopped, waiting a few moments with baited breath before moving further on around a corner where she spotted a small group of servants clearing debris from two otherwise completely empty rooms; one of them standing forlornly with a broom in his hands that was missing half of its original width.  
They all stopped working as she approached, not taking her eyes off them for a second. They inclined their heads and bowed slightly as she cautiously passed them, none of them uttering a single word; total silence falling on the scene until she was well away, walking faster now and continuously looking back and forth.

The corridor changed into an arcaded walkway that overlooked an open forecourt, angling off towards a diamond shaped entrance hall where she almost ran into a pair of silent, motionless guards standing sentinel in front of a crumbling, reddish brown archway to the right as she had been distracted by the carvings on the wooden pillars she had caressed with her fingertips while passing by.  
Apart from turning their heads slightly in her direction as she all but recoiled in alarm, they did not react to her appearance in any way, staying completely silent and almost immediately taking up their previous stance again, resembling lifelike statues more than living beings that, she knew, could bleed and feel pain.

Watching them askance while passing them in a wide arch she noticed a flight of double stairs behind them, leading upwards into silent twilight. Giving the stairway a short glance she continued in the direction she had been moving, her gait resembling a caged animal's with an ever so slight limp, until she reached another set of stairs, this time leading down and made of stone so worn it had taken on a shiny quality on the grooved steps.  
She suspiciously eyed the mossy archway made of stone slabs at the bottom of the stairwell, hesitating and taking a few steps in the direction she had come. Giving the door of the diamond hall with its two stormguards an unhappy look and unconsciously feeling for a weapon at her silken belt, she turned around again with a sigh and headed down the stairs, wincing when her right knee had to take her weight on the slanted steps.  
The sound of tools and crockery greeted her at the bottom as she walked through the archway that lead into an airy and light filled space.

Dozens of servants were working on turning a small mountain of foodstuffs one could gather in the wilds of Yamatai into preserves, the smell of the smokehouse overlaying everything else. Long lines of mushrooms, fruit and fish hung out to dry filled the spaces between the roof beams, recently killed and gutted deer were piled upon each other along the northern wall, the blood still dripping from the carcasses and staining the stone floor.  
No one spoke, the only sounds coming from pottery being moved about, knifes on chopping boards and the multiple blazing fireplaces. All activity ceased as she walked in, a dozen pairs of sunken eyes following her from inclined heads, in silence. Almost simultaneously, they bowed slightly as she turned through a full circle, trying and failing to make eye contact with any of them. Her voice was hoarse.

'Hello? Can you help me?'

Silence.

'How can this place be full of people? Where did you all come from?'

Silence.

'Does anybody understand me?'

Silence.

'Shit! What _is _this place?'

Her eyes darting across the workspace she fixed upon a double door and turned towards it, stumbling on the uneven floor with a sharp intake of breath, gripping her right knee for a moment before hastily limping towards it.

Breathing heavily, she stopped dead when she became aware of two stormguards standing on either side of the small gate that turned the gaze of their demon masks towards her in a barely noticeable movement while resting their gloved hands on the hilts of their swords.

Clenching and unclenching her fists while slowly backing away and looking around unsteadily she caught sight of many more figures through the weathered window openings, working in silence on the outer side of the walls, clearing ancient terraced rice paddies extending further upward the mountainside, the terrain much gentler on this side of the palace than on the southern approach. This had to be the outer wall at the northern gate.  
As she retreated, the guards took up their stoic position again; a second later she spun on her heels and all but fled the place. Shortly after, the servants took up their tasks again as if they never had been disturbed.

Tracing back her way she encountered a lone servant and hailed the woman who turned around hurriedly and backed away a step upon being spoken to. She had the looks of a pale twenty year old at first glance but the way she held her body and how her almost translucent skin seemed to stretch over her cheekbones belied the appearance. Lara approached her carefully, pronouncing the syllables of her modern Japanese as clearly as possible.

'Please, I need to find the study overlooking the southern approach. Can you help me?'

The maid's wide eyes darted back and forth as she backed away a little more against the wall, her ashen face showing fear and bewilderment as she dropped her gaze to the floor. Lara took a half step back herself, gripping the bridge of her nose with thumb and index finger and exhaling softly before trying once more with a simpler approach.

'Queen Himiko, where?'

The woman jumped, briefly touching her throat with a soft whimper and quickly after pointing in the direction of the guarded archway in the diamond room Lara had come through earlier, then bowed as deeply as possible, remaining in the position.  
Lara looked down at the obsequious figure with a mixture of disgust and pity in her eyes, unconsciously retreating a slow step while taking in the black but brittle hair flowing over a pale neck where the veins stood out in a dark reddish blue in stark contrast to the pale skin and featureless, washed out clothing, before leaving the desolate creature behind with a soft shake of her head and pacing back the arcaded walkway again.

She adjusted her attire once more and checked her ponytail for any loose strands of hair before approaching the arch with measured yet tense steps as she tried to hide her limp; constantly eyeing both of the guards. Having bowed respectfully, earning her an accepting nod from the black clad warriors, she drew an unsteady breath and passed between them. A metallic sound made her spin around two steps into the stairway with her hand instantly pulling the non-existent pistol from her hip, cursing under her breath.

The guards had crossed their pole arms in front of the entrance, blocking the way back as effectively as any portcullis.

Dust, sparkling in a ray of light, was drifting down from a higher level as she warily made her way up the creaking steps that ended on a raised walkway which encircled the staircase, leading to several closed doors to every side of the building.

Faded, threadbare tapestries covered the walls above the walkway, their lower edges crumbling as she curiously grazed them with her fingertips while walking down the walkway, scolding herself immediately after her thoughtlessness as she remembered Liz, her professor of archaeological conservation at UCL, and what she would had said to this. Looking up at the tapestries she quietly spoke to herself.

'These have to have been made over a thousand years ago… Nothing of organic origin should ever be able to last that long without any conservation measures… they should be less than dust by now. But so should all these wooden buildings… you'd expect to find overgrown foundations in a place like this… nothing more…'

She leaned against the banister with her shoulders slumped, covering her eyes with a hand as her head tilted forwards, a pained and unsteady sigh escaping her chest. As the handrail gave an ominous creak, followed by the clatter of wooden fragments, she forced herself upright again with a strained moan and once more looked up at the scenes before her that once had to have been extremely colourful.  
They showed bountiful harvests under the sun on one side and victories on the fields of battle on the other; the latter consistently containing a swordsman clad in blue and gold, clearly of noble birth, always wearing the exact same outfit although his facial features changed with every depiction.

'I know you…' she said 'You're still wearing those robes back in that tomb where you chose to commit seppuku for your failure. Jūmonji giri even… four cuts and without a trusted swordsman to release you from your torture, bleeding to death alone… Was your suffering great enough to restore your honour? All these generals… are they your predecessors or were they all _you_ as well? You knew her secret… so she would know yours, I guess…'

Walking back to the stair head she came to a halt before an open double door, its frame reddish brown and the panels a yellowed white, crested by a wooden carving of the rising sun with the cracked surface also showing the remains of leaf gilding, leading into a dimly lit passageway at the end of which bright light was spilling through another opening. Her steps gradually slowed as she headed down the corridor, glittering dust particles illuminated by the back light flowing through her field of vision and disappearing in the murky corridor behind her.

Stopping two paces from the doorway and squinting into the brightness, she could barely make out the figure of Himiko standing at the parapet and facing the southern horizon.  
The sky, of a pale hazy white, glistened in the powerful light of the early afternoon and together with the direct sunshine bathed the study's whitewashed walls and floor in almost painful luminance.  
The queen's silken robes shone in reflections of blindingly white radiance, the once faded applications on her garments standing out in darkest ebony and powerful pure gold and crimson. Her crown shimmered with a fire like glow, the hairbands wafting in the wind resembling wisps of white smoke.

Lara's breath hitched for a second as she beheld the sight before she began to mumble frantically to herself in a barely audible hiss.

'Shit! How do I address something like _that_? …Allright. Show respect… how deep to bow… _keirei_? No way, might as well mock her… _saikeirei_? Is that enough for the Sun Queen? …Dammit! Why do they only teach you modern etiquette when all you need is something from two thousand years ago! Like in those old Samurai movies Sam loved to dissect… was that fiction or the real deal which you weren't supposed to do nowadays because it shows self-hate…? Perfect then. _Dogeza, _wasn't it? Damn! These are male clothes… male or female hand position?! Best to go with the outfit, right? Ok, I can do this. Male scribe who has just burned down the royal archives… that should do it. Oh god… don't screw this up any further than you already have…'

She wiped sweat from her brow before drawing her hands down her face and placing them firmly at her sides after adjusting her attire a final time; waiting for the right moment to make her presence known.

Himiko was holding her right hand before her, slowly turning it back and forth and watching the sunlight play over her skin, outlining the fine hairs and illuminating the backside of her fingers in a soft red glow. Turning her face into the westerly breeze she closed her eyes, shuddering ever so slightly as the wind played with a strand of hair that had come loose from her elaborate headdress.  
Almost dreamily, she addressed her visitor without turning around.

'The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes... how I could have forgotten the warmth of the sun and the caress of the wind, craving only to be… and not to live.  
The temple of our bodies falls to ruin as the years consume it and power always fails the test of time… everything transitory is but an image that will fade… but life… life is eternal beauty that shines brighter than everything we could ever hope to create or achieve and yet we always forget this simplest of all truths.  
Simple, powerless life is of sparkling beauty like the dragonfly darting back and forth over smooth waters that reflect the endless skies, asking nothing of life but life and making perfect sense in its simplicity.  
Yet power without life sees no other sense than power for power's sake, consuming itself in its raging search for more of itself; like the storm unleashing untamed fury that further builds its all-consuming rage from rainstorm to thunderstorm to typhoon… leaving nothing behind but a lingering hate for the next sunrise that will turn the destruction wrought into a source of life and beauty anew.'

After a few moments of expectant silence, Lara nodded to herself and, drawing a deep breath, moved into the hazy whiteness, keeping her gaze to the floor.

'Her Majesty wishes to see me?'

When the queen's eyes came to rest upon her, the daughter of Lord Croft, educated in English etiquette since the age of five, let herself sink down into a kneeling sit with her hands still firmly at her side, proceeding to bow from the hip in a near fluent motion until her forehead almost touched the floor and her ponytail slid down from her neck. Her voice was unwavering albeit strained and with a hint of pain due to the position putting pressure on her still tender ribcage. There was also more than just a trace of embarrassment at grovelling in such a way at the feet of ancient Yamatai's empress that she did her best to hide.

'I offer my apologies for my breach of courteousness when I rejected the honour of having received the proper warrior's treatment. It was never my intention to insult Your Majesty or the traditions of your house and I would ask your forgiveness and express my wish to learn from you.'

Himiko paused, her eyebrows rising slightly as she regarded the prone form at her feet, after which the hint of a smile began to tug at what had otherwise been the emotionless mask of her face.

'I shall grant you the forgiveness you seek and will regard your wish with favour. You may rise, Lara.'

On hearing the softness return to the Sun Queen's voice, who obviously had interpreted her awkwardness in a very different way, Lara smiled a fleeting, relieved smile at the floorboards before performing the bow in reverse, suppressing a groan as the pressure left her hurting chest. As she straightened up she noticed Himiko inclining her head slightly towards her, expertly returning to the fully upright position simultaneously to herself as demanded by etiquette.


	7. Transitions

_In our darkest moments, when our muse deserts us, we find something. A beta that keeps us going. A beta that pushes us. When all seemed lost, I found a pen. And I knew what I had to write._

_Chapter 7 of many more. Slow but steady. Thanks greys. And Sachi, of course.  
_

* * *

**Transitions**

The westerly wind pulled at the lower reaches of the hazy high cloud moving across the sky above Yamatai, drawing out long swathes of greyish brush strokes from the lower reaches of the yellowish white blanket that stretched from horizon to horizon; itself driven by a high altitude eastern drift, the wind painted ethereal feathery patterns and filigree fanned objects split finely into wispy strands as pine needles on the first new shoots in early spring. The harsh sunshine dimmed as it was embraced and softened by the faint shapes; life on the island awoke anew in the cooling afternoon, freed from the punishing radiance. Birdsong began to overlay the crickets' monotonous chirping on the palace grounds as the hill forest's many shades of green turned from subdued to lush once more.

The blinding luminance in the study with the whitewashed walls and floor - the one that overlooked the southern flank of the palace mountain and also the winding path leading up to the royal residence, had dampened to a light grey. The queen's robes glistening brightness turning to a regal white that contrasted starkly with the younger woman's red and orange garments.

Over a gap of two paces and a world, two pairs of sunken eyes met on equal height.

Sam's features on Himiko's ashen face were marked by deep lines on the brow and downwards from the corners of her mouth; her wary eyes were showing faint red lines on the once sparkling white while dark, bluish smudges accentuated the pronounced heavy lachrymal, that appeared for the first time on the youthful skin. She squinted very slightly, her gaze bearing the signs of a permanent headache as she scrutinized the person before her.

Lara's face was flushed from performing the submissive _degoza_ bow, part was pain from her not yet fully healed ribs, and part was embarrassment for both herself and Himiko. Apart from the healthier colour, she showed the same fatigue on her features and she barely kept herself from swaying as the adrenaline left her system with the relief of having found the first foothold in her situation taking over.

Both women simultaneously nodded very slightly at each other before Lara lowered her gaze somewhat, a tiny smile of relief on her lips upon recognizing the mutual understanding. The treacherous quicksand under her feet, that she had done her best to navigate over the past days without going under, seemed to show the first signs of solidifying, allowing her to begin to regain her bearings in the unreality she had found herself in after awakening in the palace. Her strength was beginning to return in the care of the sun queen and as she closed her eyes for a moment she drew a deep breath to steady herself.

'I'd like to thank you for helping me recover, your majesty.'

It earned her a brief nod of acknowledgement. What once had been Samantha's ever not quite but _almost_ loving eyes taking in her best and closest friend's every appearance wandered over Lara's body with a slightly satisfied but otherwise neutral and detached expression. Himiko paused with a soft sigh of irritation when she beheld the fresh and blood stained bandages covering the survivor's hands. Noticing the gaze, the girl's careful smile disappeared as she held out her hands with a souring look, preparing herself for the inevitable mutual embarrassment - to be scolded in the manner of a disobedient child once more.

'Realise that I take offence at your insistence on hurting yourself needlessly. What have you done this time? Remove those so I can inspect the damage.'

Blushing at the impatient tone and obviously hating herself for it, she ripped the cloth from her hands with a hiss, revealing the bloodied knuckles that she had cracked open when hitting hard the floorboards in her chamber in the ever returning vain frustration and grief over her broken promise. The already injured and stiff little finger on her right hand had not taken kindly to the treatment, the bluish red swelling stretching the skin almost up to the wrist.

The queen regarded Lara's hands without visible emotion before moving to the girl's side to take her right arm into both hands, feeling it carefully with skilled motions. Lara closed her eyes with an unsteady breath, at first shivering slightly as their shoulders brushed against each other and then flinching obviously at Himiko's soft touch who briefly, from the corners of her eyes, looked up to the girl's strained expression before calmly returning to her examination. As she reached the wrist the survivor's chest began to heave with deep and steady breaths, her averted eyes fixed on a crumbling piece of wooden carving on the nearest support beam. She tensed and emitted a soft hiss, yet held perfectly still despite her watering eyes when her little finger was probed and bent carefully in order to determine the state of both bones and sinews.

Finally, after a few minutes that had seemed like hours, Himiko nodded slightly and straightened up again, absentmindedly keeping her right hand on Lara's forearm in a lingering touch that could also have been the slightest of caresses. Yet her features only showed satisfaction as she neutrally addressed her patient.

'There is no need for me to strain myself as this will heal by itself, provided you give it time and desist from straining it any further. May what likely will be a week of discomfort remind you that I won't always come to your assistance although your sincere thanks for saving your life are well received.'

Unsettled by the disconnect between the detached admonishment and the soft touch of Himiko's hand that still _almost_ but not quite rested on her arm, she slowly turned her head to face the other woman. Their shoulders still touching, she was close enough to register Sam's familiar smell, so well-known to her from countless embraces. She swallowed heavily and looked up with a wavering smile and an utterly confused expression.

Then their eyes met and Lara unconsciously began clenching and unclenching her left hand and gritted her teeth as she studied up close what once had been her best friend's face, now completely missing the sparkle of constant mischievousness; even the wrinkles around her eyes seemingly beginning to disappear into the perfect emotionless mask that had slowly crept on towards replacing the former familiarity. She forced herself to relax again into the previous soft stance under the neutral, entirely controlled gaze of Himiko. The queen, upon noticing the brief and quickly suppressed hardening of Lara's features, addressed her calmly while taking a slow step back, leaving an empty coolness where her hand had touched the skin.

'It comes with ease to confront an object of hate… yet willingly and calmly submitting oneself to its mercy, goodwill and care requires a strong soul indeed. What lies behind the wary eyes of the defeated warrior?'

'It hurts.'

'So you still cannot bear the lingering pain of your injuries quietly as you should be able to by now?'

'Being close to you hurts, your majesty.'

The dark glow that was deepening in her eyes belied her submissive tone and stance, the mismatch this time escaping the queen who had averted her face at the simple statement and had begun to circle Lara with slow steps, now meticulously keeping her distance and inspecting from all angles the girl who stood firm, squaring her shoulders while resisting the obvious urge to follow Himiko with her eyes.

'There are wounds no-one but the bearer will be able to heal, in the same way that it is not within my power to make a wilted flower return to its former beauty again. Yet if the roots are unharmed, it may well blossom anew, perhaps even more beautiful than before.'

'That flower's in a graveyard. Nothing of all this is going anywhere.'

Ignoring the bitter statement, Himiko looked Lara up and down with a satisfied expression.

'I am pleased to see you wear your unexpectedly unharmed garments with a fair amount of pride, just as I anticipated.'

'What is it you want from me, your majesty?'

With Himiko disappearing from Lara's field of vision, her words had acquired a fine edge, increasingly slicing away slivers of the subdued tone.  
The queen stopped behind Lara's back, a nuance of irritation now showing on her face and in her voice.

'You will stop using this honorary title while we enjoy privacy and use the name you are well aware of; as I requested earlier.'

There was a faint, clicking sound of a roof tile somewhere above the greying room succumbing to the strain of a thousand years of heating and cooling, releasing a small amount of gravelly clay that softly clattered downwards and fell past the banister, the westerly wind blowing some of the accompanying fine red dust into the study that swirled around the warriors feet before settling down and disappearing into the cracks between the flaking whitewash.

'I can't address my best friend with her killer's name.'

Lara heard the queen take a sharp breath upon hearing the short sentence's challenging tone before she took a step closer to her back, pausing there for a little while before speaking in a low and distinctly colder voice, now directly behind her neck.

'You obviously neither know what you offered me when asking for my forgiveness and that I share my knowledge with a commoner in the way you did, nor do you have any sense of propriety after putting yourself at my mercy, _and into my service_, do you? I warn you not to strain my leniency, but I shall respect your request for now and give you the time you will require to adjust. Know that I did not 'kill' your friend; she became part of a greater whole during her ascension.'

'Her _ascension_?!'

Flinging the words out in a hiss, Lara spun around with a sudden fury burning in her gaze as she locked eyes with Himiko and closed the gap between them, their bodies almost touching just before the queen brought up both her hands, palms outwards. Something between a grunt and a growl escaped the survivor's throat as she hit an invisible wall, the impact deflecting her movement and forcing her to take a stumbling half step back. She stood, seething; her left cheek reddening from the restrained slap she had received while struggling to keep her balance.

Himiko, her eyebrows raised, regarded her with a once more carefully composed emotionless expression, her head slightly tilted to the right, rubbing her right palm while lowering her hands to her lap as she spoke.

'Your fierceness in spirit and loyalty are much to your honour and I would expect nothing less of a soul like yours. Your naivety and hot-headedness are less so, but we will remedy this in time. Behave yourself as befitting for the place you chose to accept of your own free will and I shall take care of you and teach you, just as a beautiful garden may nourish the spirit and body of the one taking care of it while she in turn ensures it's blossoming.'

Lara bristled.

'You expect me to _behave_ now?!' She spat 'I went through a hell of your making! I lost those I cared most for! I killed God knows how many people for nothing!'

Himiko drew a slow breath, a spark of anger beginning to show in her eyes as she took a measured step towards the insubordinate newest addition to her court.

'Did I force myself on you - or you on me?  
_You_ guided her to her destiny… setting sail into the storm, towards new and unknown lands. It required the willingness to lose sight of the familiar shores and embrace or fight what the journey would hold in store for you.  
_You_ were willing; you fought, courageously at that, almost succeeding in stopping forces others thought of as unstoppable while the thought of giving up never crossed your mind.  
_You_ failed in your quest, not in battle, but when you suspected a traitor amongst your own and did not act upon your instinct because you clung to your conviction that no one would steep to such betrayal; contrary to the evidence you already had in your possession.  
_You_ allowed him to carry out his plan although you had seen through him.  
_You_ abandoned her to her fate by leaving her in his care against your better judgement.  
And now you blame yourself for it every waking minute; the fear eating away at you that in the end _she_ thought the same about you and your actions. That _you_ let her down.'

For a little while, the wind in the trees outside the palace was the only sound to fill the room.

'She did not; of that I can assure you. So I would ask you to at least take this last and heaviest burden of all off your shoulders as to lessen the load you already have to carry. A load I am very well aware of… though the choice of believing your former enemy or not is yours alone.'

The fury drained from Lara's stance as quickly as it had come, leaving her pressing her fingertips to her temples before covering her face with both hands, slowly dragging them downwards until they rested on her chin as the leaden tiredness claimed returned. When she looked up again her eyes had dulled, carrying the expression of those too drained to cry anymore. The girl's voice was little more than a defeated whisper.

'How… how do you know all this?'

Himiko smiled a little smile that carried a hint of amusement but did not quite reach her eyes.

'I am not omniscient… but I do know a lot.'

'What do you want from me?'

Himiko straightened up, regaining her regal composure before answering Lara's toneless question.

'I seek understanding of the images and dreams that bring to me confusion and restlessness and I know you to hold the key to unlock their meaning since you know so well the mind they belonged to. But of much greater interest, and I would indeed venture the guess that you have asked yourself this question already, is the remarkable oddity of you, against all your instincts, not trying to flee when you had the opportunity and instead putting yourself at my mercy in an unexpectedly courteous way, surprising in its sincerity and endearing in its lack of refinement.  
So I would ask you: what do you want from _me_?'

Slowly turning away to look out onto the mountain scenery, Lara sighed deeply and crossed her arms, her hands gripping her tunic's fabric, smooth and cool to the touch of her sweaty palms. Its colour seemed more saturated than when she had put it on, although it could well have been a trick of the greying afternoon light. A soft southwesterly wind played with a loose strand of hair as she shook her head slightly and let her gaze drift towards the horizon while her fingers began to trace the embroidered patterns on her upper arms once more. For a moment her face was darkened by a fleeting shadow, cast by a bird of prey soaring past on the updraft, its cry resounding from the rocky mountain sides and cutting through the stillness of the whitewashed room. She slowly turned around again, her left boot shifting some softly rustling leaves that crumbled at the touch. She sighed a long and silent sigh before she looked up and tiredly addressed Himiko once more, spreading her arms slightly and looking down at herself.

'I gather you know this already your majesty? I'm what you would call a scribe, I guess. I study the remains of ancient cultures… and I chose to focus on Japanese history and spent years gathering knowledge about the mythical figure of Queen Himiko and the vanished empire of Yamatai she was said to have ruled.'

Himiko, with a little self-satisfied smile playing over her features, leaned forward slightly, narrowing her eyes as she listened intently.

'I can't run away now. Not after having found Yamatai and having met in person the one historical figure that could give me first-hand knowledge of ancient Japan a thousand years ago… not only that but knowledge on a whole period spanning thirty generations. I just… I just can't. This whole Island is full of relics most archaeologists would probably kill for.' Her voice trailed off bitterly. 'Or sacrifice others for…'

Straightening up with a glint in her eyes and a self-assured smile on her lips, the queen beckoned Lara to follow her and turned towards the entrance without waiting for a reaction, heading down the dimly lit corridor at a brisk pace with Lara following her like on an invisible leash.

'And I made another promise' the young archaeologist added in a barely audible whisper.


	8. Borderlands

_First things first: Reyes and Jonah have not been forgotten, don't worry._

_That being out of the way:Thank you all for your support, inspirational reviews and most of all your patience. Good things come to those who wait._

_Thanks to greysfanhp for being the best possible Beta (and just maybe also one of the most demanding)._

* * *

**Borderlands**

'Who was he really?'

Halfway across the walkway encircling the double stairs Lara had climbed towards her submission and unintentional entry into the service of the sun queen, Himiko stopped with a small sigh at the spontaneous question, her robes swaying around her in fluent motions as she turned to address her companion. The younger woman had quickly recovered her posture in the short time it took to reach the stairwell; not having been subjected to the queen's constant scrutinizing gaze had helped considerably in regaining the confidence she had acquired with knowing her new place in Himiko's perception; now a defined anchoring point in the surrounding unreality. Thus, their very recent confrontation had left her upset and on edge but not any longer as easily subdued as had been the case before.

Standing under the tapestries showing the noble born warrior clad in blue and gold, a faint sparkle returned to Lara's eyes as they wandered over the depictions that showed a long series of glorified military victories that had all played their part in expanding the borders of Yamatai. The empress without empire looked up at the tapestries as if she were noticing them for the first time ever before turning her slightly irritated gaze on her new scribe. Looking over the young woman that was studying the depictions intently, upright and focussed, her features softened into a fleeting smile that hid itself behind her collected facade as she calmly spoke, her tone not unlike an academic comment on the school's unwilling student body.

'My scribe should learn to not, in any way, interrupt her queen without permission to do so; and I do not wish to have to repeat this. However, as your curiosity and thirst for knowledge were part of the reason for my willingness to take you under my wing, I shall overlook your related transgressions; and only these.'

The scribe in question turned her head away from her object of study and glared at the queen before remembering herself and lowering her eyes somewhat, irritated at the renewed scolding for another impulsive action and even more so at her own renewed blushing. Himiko's slight amusement, quite tangible as she continued, caught her off guard, making her look up again and blink in surprise.

'The possible utility of your somewhat endearing streak of azure magpie regarding shiny objects from bygone ages does not escape me; as it shows your rare gift for finding the valuable within the insignificant.  
The passage of time might have clouded my percipience of the seemingly ordinary, not unlike the winter's snow on the mountain sides reduces their multitudinous facets to featureless white blankets; and I do not wish to become unseeing in this way. I may yet learn from you.'

Flustered, Lara opened her mouth to reply but, thinking better of it, closed it again and bowed stiffly instead. At this, Himiko exhaled inaudibly, allowing a little smile to grace her features before taking her gaze off her scribe as she turned towards the tapestry with a long sigh and clouded eyes. Her words bore the heaviness of old memories, suddenly and unexpectedly unearthed.

'Yajira-no-Ietaka. He was the last of the great generals of Yamatai, born into a family that had been in my service for generations. They had served their homeland for such long a time with bow and sword in hand it had become unthinkable for any of their sons not to follow in the footsteps of their forbears. He became my most trusted advisor on all matters of warfare, even diplomacy, and on… other things as well that…'

'Of course!' Lara blurted out. 'The only male attendant as mentioned in Tsunoda's historical accounts! But instead of a servant, he was a general… So he and those before him must have ensured the Sun Queen would always have a noble suitor at her disposal to father descendants she could draw on! With otherwise only priestesses surrounding her, sworn to confidentiality, locked in by oaths and tradition… what a perfect hidden system of ensuring a continued reign! This…'

Lara snapped her mouth shut in the middle of her exited analysis as she noticed the queen's genuine and wistful smile abruptly disappear from her face and be replaced by a stiff veneer that had difficulty containing the underlying rage as her voice turned icy.

'Enough of this! _That_ was too bold.'

As she closed the gap between them in brisk strides, the younger woman groaned at the feeling of her leg muscles going numb, forcing her onto her knees in front of the queen that looked down at her with darkened eyes that showed the tell-tale trace of blue reflecting in the irises. Fuelled by regal indignation, the slap was forceful enough to abruptly yank Lara's head to the right, immediately leaving an angry red welt on her cheek that showed white imprints from the empress' fingers. The second slap was painfully blocked by the girl's left forearm shooting up and connecting with Himiko's wrist, making both women gasp in pain before their eyes locked in standoff.

'Good on Hoshi for refusing the torture and sacrifice! You bastard!'

Total stillness followed Lara's furious snarl, the only sound being the strained heaving of the two adversaries. Slowly, all colour drained from the queen's face, taking with it the remaining semblance of collectedness as her brows narrowed and her features hardened, her eyes ablaze with righteous anger.

'How dare you!' She breathed.

The bones in the scarred hand that was still in contact with the queen's hurting wrist began to shift away from their original position, contorting the fingers into unnatural angles, straining joints and sinews to near breaking point as the skin bulged and whitened. A howl of pain filled the silent stairwell, cut off by a terrified gasp as Lara's still sensitive ribcage pressed inwards to constrict her breath. Still she refused to yield, holding herself upright by letting her injured right hand take all her weight, thus preventing her to collapse onto the floor. Himiko's voice became a furious whisper.

'How _dare_ you mention that name in my house?! How _dare_ you speak so lightly about torture and sacrifice when you know nothing of the words' true meaning?! That woman could have become part of an immortal whole far greater than the sum of its parts, further enlightening her queen with all the current wisdom and understanding the scholars, scribes, diplomats and distinguished warriors of her time had bestowed on her in preparation for her ascension; ensuring her family's affluence as well as peace and prosperity for the empire and the people of Yamatai.'

Himiko raised her barely controlled voice over Lara's desperate pained gasps, firmly gripping the girl's chin as she leaned down towards her.

'Instead she chose to damn the one who had lifted her family out of poverty and cared for her like a mother to eternal imprisonment in her own corpse; sacrificing her family to stormguard justice and the flaming pyres erected by the common folk after they learned about the murder of their prosperous land's rightful sovereign. Instead of accepting her destiny, she chose to sacrifice the people of Yamatai.'

With a hoarse scream forced out between gritted teeth, the survivor brought up her right arm in a wide arc at the expense of her balance; but the queen reacted in the last moment, gripping and holding the wrist before the bruised hand could connect with her face; thus keeping her adversary from falling. She glared at the pale face before her eyes and slowly shook her head with a deep sigh before letting the girl sink down onto the floor, leaving Lara in a little heap of pain and fighting for breath after her head had come to rest on the dusty surface and her hand's bones had assumed their original position with a wet crunch.  
Straightening up, the empress brought her voice under control again.

'What do you think happens to an empire that has its strong heart ripped out in the most unexpected of ways and suddenly vanishes from history? An empire that stretched far and wide, littered with ambitious men who suddenly had full authority thrust upon them to rule over vast lands and treasures they had never before dared to even dream about. An empire full of spies and surrounded by envious hostile powers, sensing their time has finally come to claim the lands, seas and trade routes for themselves in a game of alliance and betrayal.'

She slowly took a step back, by now regarding the prone form at her feet with a simple, sad distance in her grey eyes as she incrementally regained her expressionless posture again; her quiet words containing, like the retreating waves on the smooth stones of a gravelly beach, the whisper of a once deep and strong emotion that had become utterly foreign to her. She sighed.

'Answer me.'

'Civil war,' came the croaked reply after Lara had found enough breath to form the words.

'How many thousands of men died in battle? How many thousands died at the hands of torturers and hangmen? How many starved to death after being driven from their land and home? How many years of desolation were needed to form new structures of power? How many years of hardship had to follow that before peace and prosperity could flourish once more, if ever, for any extended period of time?  
Yet you blame me for my rage, imprisoned in a world of shadow in the dead heart of what I loved most dearly. Was it worth the price? The much greater sacrifice? '

Taking another step back, Himiko folded her hands in her lap, her face once more impassive and her voice dispassionate bar a trace of tired introspection that sought clear reason yet could not find anything but fuzzy emotion.

'I lose my temper… because of you.'

She brought up her hands and thoughtfully rested her chin on her fingertips after the incredulous statement while watching Lara laboriously propping herself up into a sitting position. Himiko's attention momentarily shifted to her own already slightly swollen wrist, regarding it in a manner of clinical interest convoluted with astonishment at the remnant of a blunt and personal incursion against her body. Her words' modulation became imperturbable as she looked away from her injury and back to Lara, her gaze holding the suppressed wonder of an explorer marvelling at a rare and precious find.

'I shall keep this as to ponder what I should learn from it. May it also aid you in remembering your place and that keeping within the bounds of propriety is not optional. Stand up and follow me; you are mostly uninjured apart from the damage you inflicted on yourself. I still intend to show you something you will find worth your while and which should dull the pain of your hurt pride.'

With considerable effort, Lara managed to get into a kneeling position without using her hands before rising unsteadily while she relied on the creaking banister for support to keep her from swaying. Sweat was still trickling down her temples and staining her tunic as she spat out some blood and tried to examine her shaking hands in the diffuse light of the open stairwell. A soft hiss escaped her as she flexed her discoloured left hand, hurting badly at the slightest movement but to her surprise without any broken bones. Massaging it was out of the question, though, as her injured right hand was throbbing furiously too after having used it to take her full weight and the unyielding pressure of Himiko's power; her attempt to return the slap with it had not helped either.

Lara took a step forward, almost falling had it not been for the banister she quickly grabbed on to; her legs felt numb and each time she put pressure on her right knee a wave of dizziness blurred her vision, yet she stubbornly willed her face under control as she took a deep, painful breath and began walking after Himiko, cradling her left hand and letting out a determined groan as she quickened her pace.

Waiting at the far end of the walkway above the stairwell, the queen watched in contemplative silence as the other woman slowly made her way across the raised walkway; her hunched figure illuminated in irregular intervals by the orange light of the setting sun that filtered through a number of cracks in the masonry. When Lara finally reached her, Himiko pulled open the door to the western side of the palace, her flowing robes glowing in a warm gold as they were bathed in the evening light, wafting in the wind that stirred the dust on floor and tapestries into a shower of faint sparks that faded into darkness in the updraft to the murky upper levels.

She wordlessly stepped out onto the battlement on the imposing palace wall, pausing for a moment as she overlooked the heartland, stretching out a hundred feet beneath her halcyon figure; the seemingly pristine hillforest smugly shrouding the mountainsides and plateaus that had once been occupied by the villages and terraced fields of the people that had set out to build an empire to stand the test of time. The empress slowly turned away from the beautiful panorama, casting her eyes upon the crumbling remains of the palace and the cracked stone slabs of the parapet walk where the wind played with some withered leaves.

'Come.' She said quietly, her tone withdrawn and distant.

Lara squinted into the light of the glowing orange orb that was sinking beneath the blood red waves of the Pacific Ocean in the far distance, illuminating the towering dark clouds on the horizon in a purple glow from beneath. The mild wind cooled her burning face as she turned to follow, slowly and carefully making her way over the uneven surface. Looking up for a brief moment, she noticed Himiko waiting for her at a moss-covered stairway leading down into the courtyard, seemingly lost in thought. The queen turned to face her as she finally caught up, her clouded eyes belying her sober posture as she addressed the young woman with tired, softened words that to her own surprise reflected a trace of genuine concern towards the stubborn, insolent and generally bad mannered foreign girl.

'You limp. I should have noticed.'

'I'm fine.'

'As you will. Follow me.'

Swallowing drily after her curt reply and the queen's collected answer, Lara set off after Himiko once more, a blend of lingering anger, wariness and to her own bewilderment also a trace of pity in her eyes as she gazed at the other woman's back. She noticed the queen deliberately walking at a slower pace than she had before and briefly looking over her shoulder twice as the pair descended the worn out stairs that lead down into the courtyard behind the main northern gate, past the rotting remains of wooden stables, their former equine inhabitants probably eaten centuries ago by the starving populace of a windswept, dying island.

Their footsteps on the sand and gravelly remains of brickwork rang out in the encroaching stillness as they walked along the wall towards the former registrar's office, situated close to the northward gate and flanked by two partially collapsed storage buildings, the three houses surrounded by dark half-moons of fallen roof tiles. As they approached the portal, the two Samurai standing guard came to attention before deeply bowing to their queen in unison. She returned the gesture with a slow incline of her head before turning to her companion, addressing her coolly while pointing toward the crumbling remains of the building that once had been part of a vast administrative system, its highest functionary responsible for the correct filing of trade proceedings, foreign trade agreements and related diplomatic exchanges as well as official proclamations that needed widespread dissemination.

'Await me at the entrance. I have orders to relay to my commander.'


	9. Preview Chapter 9

_Dear readers, here is the first part of chapter nine as a preview of what is to come... as a little sign of life from my side and assurance that this story will not be abandoned. The problem is that I'm currently unable to fit fanfiction writing into my days due to the final deadline of handing in my PhD thesis on the 25th of September. As my beta remarked: 'these things suck your soul'. Truer words were seldom written._  
_Please bear with me, come October I should have plenty of time on my hands compared to now._

_Thank you so much for all the encouragment... special thanks to my reviewers of course who have given a lot of _  
_really useful input that will be put to good use later this year._  
_So long,_  
_-Cel_

* * *

**Faustian Deals**

Lara cast a last glance at the stormguards standing sentinel in front of the merchant gate before she bowed respectfully to the queen and retreated towards the dilapidated administrative building in order to wait for the empress finishing whatever matter of importance she needed tending to.

Leaning heavily against a weathered pillar that carried nothing but the darkening sky as a porch roof, Lara watched Himiko addressing the two Samurai in their black armour. Their dark shapes towered over the queen's small frame that looked frail in contrast while her white robes appeared almost gossamery in the unsteady light that spilled from the braziers illuminating the gate area; yet as soon as the protocol had been satisfied and formalities performed, there was a change, subtle at the conversation's beginning but increasingly stark as it became clear there was a disagreement between the queen and her acting second in command.

Despite the lack of raised voices or threatening gestures or even so much as movement on the part of the Stormguards, the commander gave the impression of wanting to raise his shield while his companion seemed to cower behind his own motionless facade before the display of displeased power and charisma.

And there she was.

For a split second, Sam angrily flipped her hair while leaning forward to drive home a point; her left hand resting on her hip while she planted her feet firmly on the ground, the white robes suddenly hugging her figure as they swirled around her with the undignified motion. The unmoving Samurai seemed to recoil into the background before the overstrung, furious girl.

Lara's breath caught in her throat; yet the transformation flickered out of existence in the blink of an eye. Himiko's posture regained its familiar dignity: calm, regal and in control; her devoted soldiers acquiescing to her will. Their accustomed statuesque comportment now appeared inappreciably chipped on their auras' edges, though.

The survivor blinked a few times, then pressed her hands to her temples and clenched her fists in her hair, shaking furiously shaking her head. The resulting pain that shot through her sore fingers and down her arms provided her with a welcome jolt back into what she presumed went for reality in this place. She slumped against the building and slowly let herself slide down the weathered plaster; the broken pieces of masonry that littered the ground shifting under her feet with soft, grinding noises.

Averting her eyes from the scene, she rested her head against the wall and gazed upwards to let her wary mind seek refuge in the velvety night sky, appreciating the distraction caused by the discomfort of sitting on coarse rubble while wearing fine, silken breeches. The young archaeologist gingerly picked up a piece of masonry that still had some brittle remains of timber attached to it, slowly turning the aggregate in her left hand while stifling a yawn. She detachedly watched as it crumbled under the slight pressure of her thumb, the dust drifting away in lazy wisps while some fine grit formed irregular patterns on her leg. As she let go of the granular, mealy remains and slowly wiped her hand on the exquisite raw silk of her garments, she felt her eyelids become increasingly heavy, her head beginning to tilt sideways and backwards on its own accord. A soft breeze blew a few strands of hair across the face of the slumped figure that was already too far gone to notice.

_Mathias sat across the campfire, fading in and out of her vision as her drained body demanded rest and respite while her senses were lulled by Sam's soft voice retelling the story of her ancestor. Sleep came like a soft blanket, cushioning her frayed senses…_

With a hoarse gasp, Lara shot upright and stumbled to her feet, her dark-rimmed eyes darting back and forth over the courtyard in alarm as she instantly pressed herself up against the wall, with the palms of her hands flat against the crumbling surface, tensioning the coiled up spring of her body. Some grit trickled through her fingers with a faint murmur, just about audible in the twilit stillness that soon after was filled with the sound of a drawn-out, shaky exhale. The survivor took a small, halting step into the open space before her and wiped droplets of sweat from her brow, leaving dirty smudges across her forehead. Forcing her breath under control, she closed her eyes and massaged her temples in an effort to calm down again.

'Damn it.'

Her dry and toneless words felt oddly out of place in the peaceful surroundings of faded splendidness that her mind kept refusing to accept as free from danger despite her instincts insisting on the fact that there was no immediate threat apart from Himiko's wrath; something that she by now accepted to a considerable extent was hers to provoke or assuage.

She clenched her fists, gasping quietly at the satisfying pain from her sore hands that blocked out the unwelcome deliberations before she set about to find something else that might conceivably be amiss - she neither found it in the greying shapes of the old pines reaching up behind the decaying, overgrown outer walls nor in the gaping holes of the hollow window openings in the ancient buildings, both images having become disturbingly familiar since her arrival on Yamatai. The western palace wall also failed to deliver on her efforts, in the last reddish light displaying without threat a sombre gradient from muted orange to late autumn grey on its upper reaches as the shadows in the courtyard deepened, beginning to disappear in the reticent dusk. The faint murmur of concluding formalities taking place at the gate carried no trace of impending hostilities either.

Cursing under her breath as she slowly turned, she scanned the dark mountainsides with rising frustration until her eyes came to rest on the high peaks to the northwest. The first stars had begun to show over the distant, steep inclines that she had scaled not even two weeks ago, still just about discernible in the murk. Staring towards the darkened horizon, she finally nodded curtly with a grim and reassured smile on the thin line of her lips: there was a complete lack of stray light on the firmament. The island's most prominent landmark, the world war two era radio tower's ever present red glow, had vanished from the night sky.

'Come.' Came the brief command.


End file.
